Grain-separator.



J. S. WALCH.

GRAIN SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED AUG. I7, 1914.

1,15%,396. Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANDORAPH CO.,\VASHINGTON. D. c.

J. S. WALCH.

GRAIN SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. I7, 1914.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. S. WALCH.

GRAIN- SEPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.n. I914.

1,158,396. Patented 0013.26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

miinzases TE erase rirn'r owns.

JACOB S. WALSH, 01E WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON.

GBAIN-SEPARATOR.

masses.

7 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented cat. as, rain.

Application filed August'li, 1914. Serial No. 857,198.

larly for use in conjunction with threshing or harvester machines in which the grain is cut, threshed, cleaned and sacked in a continuous progression, but it may be employed separately as a grain cleaner. It may also be substituted for the usual shaking screens in harvesting machines which are already built.

One of the objects of my invention'is to provide an apparatus which will separate the grain more thoroughly and with greater rapidity than the usual type in which the separation is efiected by shaking cating the screens.

Another object is to enhance the efficiency of such apparatus and thereby reduce the amount of power necessary and the cost of operation. lVith these and other objects in view I will describe the essential features of my invention in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which a Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a threshing machine showing one form of my grain separator in operative relation with the threshing cylinder; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the separator; Fig. 3 is a sec tional view on the line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. ft is a perspective view of the separator with the casing partly broken away; and Figs. 5, 6 and Y are top plan longitudinal section and perspective views respectively, of a modification of my separator.

In Fig. 1, T have shown my grain separator in connection with the usual cutting and threshing mechanism and which will be readily understood by those familiar with harvesting machinery. To the main'platform 1, of the threshing machine is pivoted a frame 3, which carries the reel 4, cutter bar 5 and conveyor apron 7, to which motion may be applied through a belt or chain con necting with a gear or pulley on the traction or reciprowheels 10, in the usual manner. The cut grain is conveyed from the cutter bar 5, over the traveling apron 7, to the cylinder housing formed by the concaves 12, 12,

where it is threshed by the teeth or heatersl lof the threshing cylinder 15.

The mlxed grain chaff and straw pass from the threshing cylinder into the forward ends of my grain separator which is more clearly shown 111 Fig. 4c. The separator comprises a sieve having a plurallty of concave portions or troughs having closed ends. The forward portion 18 of each concave portion, is iinperforate and receives the mixed grain and chaff from the threshing cylinder. The opposite end of each concave portion or trough 18", is reticulated or a wire mesh forming a sieve or screen.

through which the grain may pass.

A shaft 20, j ournaled in the ends, extends longitudinally through each concave portion, and carries upon one end a gear 21,

which is in mesh with a gear 23, upon a shaft 2a, which .is driven by the engine or other power operating the various parts of the harvesting machine.

The grain, chaff and straw received from the threshing cylinder is carried through the imperforate portion 18 by the screw ,conveyers 26, mounted upon the shafts 20,

and deposited upon the reticulated or screen portions 18", where it is constantly agitated by the rotary heaters 28, also carried by the shafts 20. As soon as the grain and straw is deposited upon the screen or sieve 18", it is subjected to a strong air blast from the blower 30. These air currents cooperate with the boaters to thoroughly stir the mixture thereby permitting the grain to drop upon the sieve and pass through the meshes,

falling upon the inclined bottom of the pan.

or .hopper 32, and being deposited in the trough 3 f, from whence it is conveyed by the rotary worm 36, to thesacking apparatus. The blower and conveyer Worm may be driven from the power shaft 24, by belts 37 and 38, or in any othersuitable manner. The upwardly and outwardly dlrected air currents passing through the sieve exert a lifting force upon the mixed grain and straw, which not only cooperates with the stirrer-s 28, to agitate the mixture and cause the grain to separate and fall through the sieve, but these air currents also propel the straw and chaff along the sieve and finally project itfrom the outer end thereof. The

' effect of the air blast upon the straw and chaff is increased toward the rear end of the sieve by the fact that the heavlergrain has been removed during the passage along the sieve andas the stirring arms lift the straw,

the air blast projects it over the ends as indicated by thearrows in Fig. 1.

As I have mentioned above, the shaking screens in existing threshing machines may be replaced with a set of my concave screens andthereby greatly enhance the efficiency of the grain separation. I have found in the actual operation of my separator that the screw propellers 20, in addition to conveying the grain from the receiving end to the sieves, also serve ,bytheir rotary motion to stir andagitate the mixture received from thethreshing cylinder so that the heavier grain may gravitate to the bottom and therefore be in prope'r position to immediately pass through the sieve. Duringthe'travel through theimperforate portions 18, there fore, the mixtureis rearranged and prepared for a more effective action of the air'blast and stirrers as it is fed upon the sieve. The

importance of this sequence of operations in the imperforate portion and in the sieves will be appreciated especially by those familiar with prior grain separating devices. By dividing the mixture as it-leaves the threshing, cylinder up into a plurality of separate portionsthe etliciency of the apparatus 1n thoroughly separatlng the grain is very greatly enhanced. I r

The concave form of the separator sectlons not only provides a largescreening surface for the operation ofthe stirrers and the air blast but enables the separator to operate efficiently in all positions of the machine,

even when it is tilted to one side or the other I vantage over the usual type of separator screens lIl whlch the grain and straw may be shifted entirely to one side when the machine is tiltedjand massed together so that thescreemng action is materially reduced.

In some cases, especially where it is necessary to place the'separatorln a small space,

as when replacing the separator in an old machine, I have found it desirable to place the screens longitudinally of the threshing cylinder sothat the threshed mixture is deposited along the whole side of the adjacent sieve section as I have illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. 7 In this form I dispense with the imperforateportion and thescrew and extend thesieve 18 and the beatersthe entire length of the separator. In this form I prefer to make the. concave screen sections shallower, as shown in Figs. (3 and 7 which not only facilitates the transfer of straw andmixedgrain from onesieve section to the next but also provides an extended gradual curve or shallower channel over which the stirrers sweep. In order to further contract the space occupied I have shown the arc of each section shortened, thereby bringing the shafts of the boaters closer together. In order to permit the beater arms .to pass each other, 1 gear them to the driving shaft with the plane of the central beater perpendicular to the one upon eitherside, the gears maintaining the proper angular relation during the operation.

In the form shown in Figs. 5, (l and 7, the

blast from the blower 30, passes through the sieve sections transversely instead of longitudinally as in the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to L. The air currents, therefore, serve to transfer the straw and grain progressively sidewise from one section to another,

this operation being assisted by the stirringand lifting action of the beater arms. By the time the straw and chaff have passed across the several sections and have been subjected to the combined action of the air blast and the stirrers, all of the grain has been sifted through the sieves and the straw and chaff pass out of the discharge opening 18 free from grain. It is preferable to extend the outer sides of the'first and last sieve sections higher upon the sides as I have indi cated.

I have described in detail the particular constructions illustrated in the accompanying drawings but I am aware that changes may be made therein within the scope of my claims and without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a threshing machine the combination with the threshing cylinder, of agrain separator comprising a member having a plurality of concave portions adapted to receive and divide the mixture of threshed grain. straw and chafl from the threshing cylinder into separate portions, each concave portion having imperforate and perforated or sieve portions, the imperforate portions being adjacent the threshing cylinder, wormconveyers operating in said imperforate portions to convey the grain and chafl to the sieve portions, stirring devices operating in said sieve portions. and a blower adapted to force currents of air upwardly against the separator and through the sieve portions to separate the chaff and to project it outwardly therefrom.

2. A grain separator, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed concave members having imperforate and perforated or sieve portions, the imperforate portions being adiacent the threshing cylinder. mechanism operable within the imperforate portions to agitate and convey mixtures of grain and straw therethrough, and stirring devices operable within the sieve portions to agitate the mixture and thereby facilitate the separation of the grain from the straw, and a blower to force currents of air upwardly against said concave members, the imperioate portions protecting the mixture from the air currents while it is being conveyed therethrough.

3. In a threshing machine, the combina tion with a threshing cylinder, of a grain separator adjacent the cylinder and having a plurality of juxtaposed concave portions, each having perforated or sieve portions, adapted to receive and divide the mixture of threshed grain, straw and chaff from the threshing cylinder into separate parts, stirring devices operable within the sieve portions to agitate the mixture and thereby facilitate the separation of the grain from the straw and chaff and interconnected driving mechanism for maintaining the relation of the stirrers during operation.

at. In a threshing machine, the combination with the threshing cylinder,of a grain separator having a sieve provided with a plurality of juxtaposed concave portions and located adjacent the threshing cylinder to receive and divide the mixture of threshed grain, straw and chaff from said cylinder into separate portions, stirring devices operating in said concave portions, and a blower to force air currents upwardly through said sieve to separate the grain from the straw and force the latter outwardly from the sieve.

5. In a threshing machine, the combination with the threshing cylinder, of a grain separator comprising a concave member having imperforate and sieve portions, the imperforate portion being adjacent the threshing cylinder and receiving the mixture of grain and chaff therefrom, conveying mechanism and a stirring device revoluble respectively within the imperforate and sieve portions of said member, and a blower to force air currents upwardly against said memher, the imperforate portion acting to shield the mixture while it is being conveyed to the sieve portion.

6. A grain separator, comprising a plurality of juxtaposed concave members having perforated or sieve portions, adapted to receive and divide the mixture of threshed straw and grain from the threshing cylinder into a separate portion, stirring devices operable within the sieve portions to agitate the mixture and thereby facilitate the separation of the grain from the straw, and interconnected driving mechanism for maintaining the relation of the stirrers during the operation. 7

In testimony whereof I affix my signatur in presence of two witnesses.

JACOB S. VVALCH.

lVitnesses:

EUGENE C. Brown, Frances Laznnow.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

